CES 2017 | Qualcomm officially announces Snapdragon 835 SoC

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 835 is expected to power top flagship smartphones and tablets. (Source: Qualcomm)

The flagship SoC from mobile giant Qualcomm is the first mobile platform to be manufactured using a 10 nm FinFET process. Specifically tailored for VR experiences and UHD media, the SoC promises improved power in a smaller, more efficient package.

Qualcomm has officially unveiled the Snapdragon 835 SoC, their flagship package expected to power 2017’s flagship class mobile devices. The first mobile SoC to be manufactured on a 10 nm FinFET process, the Snapdragon 835 promises some major improvements in computing power, graphical performance, and battery efficiency.

The Snapdragon 835 has quite the list of components, including an “integrated X16 LTE modem for Gigabit Class LTE connectivity, integrated 2x2 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 5, and optional 802.11ad for Multi-gigabit connectivity.” Qualcomm incorporated these powerful connectivity options in anticipation of “Gigabit LTE networks expected to be rolled out around the globe in 2017 and increasing use of 802.11ad.”

In addition to the adoption of faster communication protocols, the Snapdragon 835 is focused on modern media consumption. Thanks to the powerful Adreno 540 GPU, devices powered by the Snapdragon 835 will be prepared to deliver next-generation media. The SoC is tailored for flawless VR and AR experiences (including Google Daydream) and 4K Ultra HD premium video with support for HDR10, H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) codecs, 10-bit color displays, and 3D audio.

Shutterbugs can expect to see some notable improvements in image and video capture as well. The Snapdragon 835 includes two 14-bit ISPs that support up to a single 32 MP or dual 16 MP cameras and 4K UHD video recording at 30 frames per second.

Despite the improvements in graphical and processing power, the Snapdragon 835 “consumes 25 percent less power compared to [Qualcomm’s] previous generation flagship processor.” The new SoC is also 35 percent smaller, which should allow smartphone manufacturers to either design thinner devices or fit larger batteries inside a similarly sized chassis. Support for Qualcomm’s new Quick Charge 4 also allows “up to 20 percent faster charging and up to 30 percent higher efficiency than Quick Charge 3.0.”

The Snapdragon 835 is currently being produced. Qualcomm expects Android and Windows 10 devices equipped with the SoC to begin shipping in the first half of 2017.

LAS VEGAS — January 3, 2016 — At CES® 2017 today, Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., has introduced the Company’s newest premium-tier mobile platform, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 processor with X16 LTE. The Snapdragon 835 processor is the first mobile platform to be commercially manufactured using the 10nm FinFET process node, allowing for breakthrough performance and superior power efficiency. The Snapdragon 835 is designed to support next-generation entertainment experiences and connected cloud services for premium-tier consumer devices, including smartphones, VR/AR head-mounted displays, IP cameras, tablets, mobile PCs and other consumer devices running a variety of OS’s including Android and Windows 10 with support for legacy Win32 apps.

Key components of the Snapdragon 835 processor include an integrated X16 LTE modem for Gigabit Class LTE connectivity, integrated 2x2 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 5, and optional 802.11ad for Multi-gigabit connectivity. Improved processing power and performance is supported with our new Qualcomm® Kryo™ 280 CPU and Qualcomm® Hexagon™ 682 DSP, which includes support for TensorFlow for machine learning and Halide for image processing. The Snapdragon 835 also includes substantial enhancements to the Qualcomm® Adreno™ visual processing subsystem, including the new Adreno 540 GPU and Qualcomm Spectra™ 180 image sensor processor (ISP) for next-generation camera capabilities. Also new in Snapdragon 835 is the Qualcomm Haven™ security platform with enhanced security for biometrics and device attestation.

The improvements available with the Snapdragon 835 powers can be summarized across five key technology pillars underpinned with a foundation of enhanced machine learning. The five technology pillars are:

● Battery life: The Snapdragon 835 is 35 percent smaller in package size and consumes 25 percent less power compared to our previous generation flagship processor, which equates to longer battery life and thinner designs. The Kryo 280 CPU provides a highly efficient architecture for power, while the integrated Hexagon 682 DSP adds support for TensorFlow and Halide frameworks. The combination of the CPU, GPU, DSP and software framework support in the Snapdragon 835 offers a highly-capable heterogeneous compute platform. Additionally, the Snapdragon 835 is equipped with Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 4 for up to 20 percent faster charging and up to 30 percent higher efficiency than Quick Charge 3.0;

● Immersion: The Snapdragon 835 is designed to simultaneously meet the high performance demands, thermal limits and power efficiency constraints of the next-generation virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) designs, and supports Daydream, Google’s platform for high quality, mobile VR. Many improvements were made to enhance visual quality, sound quality and intuitive interactions. Such improvements include up to a 25 percent increase in 3-D graphics rendering performance and support of up to 60 times more colors with the Adreno 540 visual processing subsystem. Snapdragon 835 also supports 4K Ultra HD premium (HDR10) video, wide color gamut 10-bit displays, object and scene-based 3D audio, and outstanding VR/AR motion tracking that includes our own sensor fusion-based six degrees of freedom (6DoF);

● Capture: The Snapdragon 835 enhances both still and video capture experience with smooth optical zoom capabilities, fast auto-focus technologies and HDR true-to-life colors with perceptual quantization video encoding. At the core of the capture experience is the Qualcomm Spectra 180 camera ISP, featuring dual 14-bit ISPs that will enable up to 32MP single or dual 16MP cameras for the ultimate photography and videography experience;

● Connectivity: The Snapdragon 835 comes with an integrated X16 Gigabit-Class LTE modem, with integrated 2x2 802.11ac Wave-2 and 802.11ad Multi-gigabit Wi-Fi, making it the first commercial processor equipped to deliver Gigabit-Class connectivity at home and on the go. With several Gigabit LTE networks expected to be rolled out around the globe in 2017 and increasing use of 802.11ad, the Snapdragon 835 is designed to empower a new generation of connected experiences in the areas of VR/AR, infinite cloud storage, rich entertainment and instant apps;

● Security: The Qualcomm Haven security platform provides support for fingerprint, eye and face-based biometrics. It also includes hardware-based user authentication, device attestation, and device security for use cases such as mobile payments, enterprise access, and users’ personal data;

● Pillars bolstered by machine learning: Upgrades to the Snapdragon Neural Processing Engine software framework include support for Google’s TensorFlow and enhancements to Hexagon DSP with Hexagon Vector eXtentions (HVX), including custom neural network-layer support, and power and performance optimizations on Snapdragon heterogeneous cores. OEMs and software developers using machine learning can now enable rich experiences such as intelligent photography, strong security and privacy protection, smart automobiles and personal assistants, and responsive and true-to-life VR and AR.

The Snapdragon 835 features:

● Kryo 280 CPU with four performance cores running at up to 2.45 GHz and four efficiency cores running up to 1.9GHz;

● an integrated Snapdragon X16 LTE modem with support for Category 16 LTE download speeds up to one gigabit per-second, and Category 13 LTE upload speeds up to 150 megabits per-second;

● integrated 2x2 11ac MU-MIMO with up to 50 percent reduction in size and up to 60 percent reduction in Wi-Fi power consumption, compared to the Snapdragon 820;

● the world’s first certified Bluetooth 5 commercial technology offering up to two megabits per-second speed and a suite of features that enable many new use cases. Bluetooth, FM radio,Wi-Fi and RF offered through companion WCN3990 solution);

● Adreno 540 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, full OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan and DX12;

● Hexagon 682 DSP with HVX;

● Qualcomm All-Ways Aware™ technology with support for the Google Awareness API;

● dual-channel LP DDR4x memory at 1866MHz;

● Qualcomm Location with support for GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and QZSS systems, which in combination with LTE/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity to provide “always-on” location and context awareness;

The Snapdragon 835 is in production now and is expected to ship in commercial devices in the first half of 2017. Please stop by Qualcomm Technologies’ CES booth #10948 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center to see live demos or visit our website for more information: https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/processors/835.

About Qualcomm Incorporated

Qualcomm’s technologies powered the smartphone revolution and connected billions of people. We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now, we are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries including automotive, computing, IoT and healthcare, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including our semiconductor business, QCT, and our mobile, automotive, computing, IoT and healthcare businesses.

Qualcomm, Snapdragon, Kryo, Hexagon, Adreno, and SecureMSM are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Qualcomm Spectra, Qualcomm Haven, Quick Charge, Clear Sight, Qualcomm All-Ways Aware and Qualcomm Aqstic are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. aptX is a trademark of Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., registered in the United States and other countries.

Qualcomm, Snapdragon, Kryo, Hexagon, Adreno, and SecureMSM are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Qualcomm Spectra, Qualcomm Haven, Quick Charge, Clear Sight, Qualcomm All-Ways Aware and Qualcomm Aqstic are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. aptX is a trademark of Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., registered in the United States and other countries.

I've been a "tech-head" my entire life. After graduating college with a degree in Mathematics, I worked in finance and banking a few years before taking a job as a Systems Analyst for my local school district. I started working with Notebookcheck in October of 2016 and have enjoyed writing news articles and notebook reviews. My areas of interest include the business side of technology, retro gaming, Linux, and innovative gadgets. When I'm not hunched over an electronic device or writing code for a new database, I'm either outside with my family, playing a decade-old video game, or sitting behind a drum set.